Socket retaining means

ABSTRACT

A socket retaining means for removably retaining a socket wrench on the outer polygonal or splined end of a drive shaft includes a releaseable engagement between the socket wrench and means on or forming part of a retaining member. The retaining member is a wire spring with a ring shank riding by clamping action in a ring groove on the tip of the drive shaft and having a rearwardly directed retaining shank applying itself or a detent releasably against the socket wrench.

United States Patent 11 1 Schoeps Aug. 14, 1973 SOCKET RETAINING MEANS 2,721,090 10/1955 Kaman "2387/; 1;;

3,056,618 10/1962 Andersen. 7/5 [751 Imam semi, Nacka' 3,436,107 4/1969 Karden 287/53 R Sweden 2,890,072 6/1959 Kaman et al 287/119 11 [73] Assignee: Atlas Copco Aktiebolag, Nacka,

Sweden Primary Examiner-Andrew V. Kundrat 22 Filed: Sept. 11, 1970 Attorney-Bauer & Goodman [21] App]. No.: 71,466

ABSTRACT 30 Fore A llcation Prlori Data 1 S t 26 3 d ty 13248/69 A socket retaining means for removably retaining a ep we en socket wrench on the outer polygonal or splined end of a drive shaft includes a releaseable engagement be- 287/53 tweenthe socketwrench andmemonorfominspan 5s Fieid o t se iii c ii: 2 7/ii9 5 3 R 53 LK retaining 'P 5 m "P a W 7 8 spring with a ring shank riding by clarnpmg action in a ring groove on the tip of the drive shaft and having a rearwardly directed retaining shank applying itself or a [56] UNITE SZEIES LTTENTS detent releasably against the socket wrench.

2,576,298 11/1951 Kessler 287/53 R 10 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures SOCKET RETAINING MEANS This invention relates to retaining means for releasable axial fixation of a socket element on the outer driving end of a shaft while rotationally fixing the shaft relative to said socket element.

More particularly the invention deals with retaining means of the above type being affixed to the tip of the driving end by a spring shank anchored in groove means provided on the tip. In such retaining means the tip of the driving end has been provided with cross bores or straight grooves for anchoring cooperation with the spring shank. Under the influence of wear and longtime exposure to vibrations in these solutions there happens that the spring shank is expelled by the socket element from the driving end, at which instant the retaining means is destroyed or is lost.

It is an object of the invention to reduce the risk for such expelling by using for the fixation of the spring shank a ring groove in the driving end which prevents axial movement and into which groove the spring shank fits with radial clamping engagement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION For the above and other purposes there is according to the invention provided a retaining means for releasable axial fixation of a socket element on the outer driving end of a shaft while rotationally fixing the shaft relative to said socket element, said retaining means comprising in combination therewith a ring groove at the outermost driving end of said driving shaft, the ring grooves being circumferentially radially reduced with respect to said shaft, a ring shaped threshold boss or lip located axially outwardly of said ring groove and being circumferentially radially reduced with respect to said driving end to a lesser degree than said ring groove, said boss defining an entrance into said ring groove from the end face of said driving end over said threshold boss, a resilient retaining member having a ringshaped spring shank for axial fixation of said retaining member in said ring groove behind said threshold by resilient clamping action against the bottom of said ring groove, a retaining shank means on said retaining member integral with said ring shank and extending from said ring groove and end face of the driving shaft axially along said driving shaft, and means associated with said retaining means for releasable engagement with said socket element.

The above and other purposes of the invention will become obvious from the following description and from the accompanying drawings in which three embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example. It should be understood that these embodiments are only illustrative of the invention and that various modifications thereof may be made within the scope of the claims following hereinafter.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a driving end with a socket wrench placed thereonto and with a retaining means according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows an end view of the driving end of the shaft in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the retaining spring in FIGS. 1-3. FIG. 5 shows detents for alternative use together with the retaining spring in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 shows a longitudinal section through a driving end with a socket wrench placed thereonto and of another embodiment of the retaining means according to the invention. FIG. 7 is a top'view. of the drive shaft end in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a front end view of the drive shaft end in FIG. 6. FIG. 9 shows a longitudinal section of the drive shaft end with a socket wrench placed thereonto and of a third embodiment of the retaining means according to the invention. FIG. 10 is a top view of the drive shaft end in FIG. 9. FIG. 11 finally is a front end view of the drive shaft end in FIG. 9.

Referring to the Figures shafts l5 and 45, respectively, which preferably are coupled to or form a part of the anvil of an impact wrench are subjected to heavy impact loads, torsion and fatigue. In the embodiments of FIGS. 1-8 the shaft 15 is provided with a driving end 16 of polygonal or square end type. A socket wrench 17 is slipped on the driving end 16 by means of a square socket 18 for purposes of bound rotation together with the shaft 15. The socket wrench l7 fits axially releasably on the driving end 16 and is retained by a retaining means which in FIGS. 1-5 comprises a detent l9 and a retaining spring 21 cooperating therewith. The detent 19 is received slidably in a transverse bottom hole 20 in the driving end 16in one of its sides. Under the influence of the retaining spring 21 the detent 19 is moved radially outwardly to fall lockingly behind an abutment, i.e. into a radial bore 22 in the socket wrench 17.

The retaining spring 21 comprises a spring shank 23 intended for the fixation thereof, which shank is ringshaped and preferably circular. One end or, in case of thin retaining springs 21, both ends of the spring shank 20 are prolonged and extend in the shape of retaining shank portions 24, 25 at nearly a right angle rearwardly into an axial hole 26 in the driving end 16. The axial hole 26 intersects the bottom hole 20 and the retaining shank portions 24, 25 with the tips thereof project into a cross hole 27 in the detent 19. For facilitating insertion of the shank portions 24, 25 into the cross hole 27 the latter is provided with countersunk portions 28 at the ends thereof.

In order that the spring shank 23 also during difficult operational conditions be capable of being securely retained on the driving end 16, there is provided in the driving end 16 an inner ring groove 30 which is adapted to the shape of the spring shank 23 and in the example shown is of circular shape, the ring groove 30 having an entrance from the end face 31 of the driving end and being disposed inwardly of a threshold boss or lip 32 which is radially off-set or reduced circumferentially with respect to the driving end 16. Inwardly of the threshold boss 32 the ring groove 30 is enlarged conically within the outermost end portion of driving end 16. The axial hole 26 in the driving end 16 intersects the ring groove 30;

At assembly of the retaining means the detent 19 is inserted into the transverse hole 20 while the retaining spring 21, with the spring shank 23 thereof slightly compressed and the retaining shank ends 24, 25 brought together and inserted into theaxial hole 26 is pushed into the cross hole 27 of the detent 19. Simultaneously therewith the spring shank 23 is pushed over the threshold boss 32 into the ring groove 30 and is allowed to expand radially thereinto while applying a clamping force against the bottom of the ring groove 30 so that the retaining means 21 is affixed in the axial direction. Upon depression of the detent 19 the retaining shank ends 24, 25 are active to exert an outward biasing force against the detent 19 moving the latter radi- 3 ally outwardly into the radial bore 22 of the socket wrench 17.

The locking action of the detent 19, FIGS. 1, 5 is cancelled out by depression of the detent at which instant the socket wrench 17 is released for removal. When an alternative detent 33 of FIG. 5 is used, having a ring shaped bevel 34, the latter acts as a cam surface so that the socket wrench 17 can be slipped on and slipped off by automatic depression of the detent 33 through cam action. As an alternative the detent 35, FIG. 5, which has an oblique side cam 36, allows automatic cammingdown of the detent 35 when a socket wrench is slipped on while at removal thereof the detent 35 has to be depressed manually via the radial bore 22.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 6-8 the retaining means comprises a single-ended retaining spring 37 and the driving end 16 at the outermost end thereof is provided with a ring groove which is directed radially outwardly. Similarly to the embodiment according to FIGS. 1-5 the ring groove 38 has an entrance in the axial direction of the driving end 16 from the end face 31 of the driving end over the threshold boss 39 which is reduced or off-set radially circumferentially with respect to the driving end 16. Against the bottom of the ring groove 38 behind the threshold boss 39 a spring shank 40 exerts a clamping action which shank forms part of the retaining member or spring 37. The ring groove 38 has such depth that the spring shank 40 while riding the groove 38 does not reach out to or beyond the polygonal or square plane configuration of the driving end 16. From one end or in case of need from both ends of the spring shank 40 there extends substantially at right angles to the spring shank 40 a retaining shank portion 41 directed rearwardly axially along the driving end 16. In order to allow the retaining means to have a large diameter and accordingly a large spring force, there has been provided in the embodiment of FIGS. 6-8 only a single retaining shank portion 41 penetrating into an axial groove 42 arranged in the driving end 16. The retaining shank portion 41 is provided with a bump 43 and springs radially outwardly at which instant the hump 43 will fall frictionally lockingly into the radial bore of the socket wrench 17 so that the socket wrench 17 is retained on the driving end 16 by a frictional force sufficient for operation.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 9-11 a retaining spring 37 of the same type as in the embodiment of FlGS. 6-8 has been applied in connection with a drive shaft end 45 provided with splines and spline grooves, the splines of which are designated by the numeral 46 and are in engagement with inner splines 47 and grooves in a socket wrench 48. Here the axial groove 42 is disposed in alignment with an axially shortened spline 49 on the driving end 45 and the retaining shank portion 41 of the retaining spring 37 squeezes lockingly by friction against the bottom of one of the spline grooves in the socket wrench 48.

l claim:

1. A retaining means for releasable axial fixation of a socket element on the outer driving end of shaft while rotationally fixing the shaft relative to said socket element, comprising:

a ring groove at the outermost driving end of said driving shaft, the bottom curved surface of said groove being circumferentially radially reduced with respect to said shaft;

a retaining wall formed in and substantially around an end periphery of said shaft and located axially outwardly of the bottom of said ring groove, the outer extremity of the retaining wall being circumferentially radially reduced with respect to said driving end of said shaft which is contiguous with the opposite side of said groove to a lesser degree than the bottom of said ring groove, said retaining wall defining an entrance into said ring groove from the end face of said driving end over said retaining wall;

a resilient retaining member having a ring-shaped spring shank for axial fixation of said retaining member in said ring groove behind said retaining wall by resilient clamping action against the bottom of said ring groove;

a retaining shank means on said retaining member integral with said ring shank and extending from said ring groove and end portion of the driving shaft axially along said driving shaft; and

means associated with said retaining shank means for releasable engagement with said socket element.

2. A retaining means according to claim 1 in which said ring groove is circular and directed radially outwardly with said entrance disposed about said retaining wall. a

3. A retaining means according to claim 2 comprising retaining shank means which forms an extension of at least one of the ends of said spring shank, and an axial groove in said driving end, said extension extending along said axial groove, at least a portion of said extension directly frictionally engaging with said socket element by means of radial spring action, said portion of said extension providing said releasable engaging means.

4. A retaining means according to claim 3 in which said driving and and said socket element have cooperating splines and spline grooves for providing said rotationally fixed engagement, with an axially shortened spline on said driving end.

5. A retaining means according to claim 3 in which said driving end is a polygonal end, said ring groove being reduced with respect to the planes of said polygonal end to avoid projection of said spring shank radially outwardly of said planes when said spring shank is clamped in said ring groove.

6. A retaining means according to claim 1 wherein said retaining wall is formed about substantially the whole periphery of said shaft.

7. A retaining means for releasable axial fixation of a socket element on the outer driving end of a shaft whiie rotationally fixing the shaft relative to the socket element, comprising:

a ring groove formed in the end portion of said driving shaft, said ring groove being open to the end portion of the driving shaft and having a predetermined wall diameter on one side of said groove which is less than the diameter of the driving shaft which is contiguous with the opposite side of said groove;

an end portion of the driving end extending radially inwardly of the wall diameter portion of the ring groove to form an inwardly extending ring-shaped retaining wall and defining an entrance into the ring groove from the end face of the driving end;

a resilient retaining member having a ring-shaped spring shank for axial fixation of said retaining member in said ring groove behind said inwardly extending retaining wall by resilient clamping ac tion of the ring-shaped spring shank against the wall diameterportion of the ring groove;

a retaining shank means on said retaining member integral with said ring shank and extending from said ring groove and end portion of the driving shaft axially along said driving shaft; and

means associated with said retaining shank means for releasable engagement with said socket element.

8. A retaining means according to claim 7 wherein said ring groove is formed in the end face of said driving shaft.

9. A retaining means according to claim 7 wherein said inwardly extending end portion of said driving element is substantially co-exte nsive with said groove.

10. A retaining means according to claim 7 comprising retaining shank means which forms an extension of at least one of the ends of said spring shank, a transverse hole in said driving end, abutment means on said socket element, a detent slidable in said transverse hole for providing said releasable engaging means, a cross hole in said detent, and an axial bore intersecting said ring groove and said transverse hole in said driving end, said retaining shank means projecting into said axial bore and cross hole for resiliently biasing said detent into releasable engagement with said abutment means of said socket element. 

1. A retaining means for releasable axial fixation of a socket element on the outer driving end of shaft while rotationally fixing the shaft relative to said socket element, comprising: a ring groove at the outermost driving end of said driving shaft, the bottom curved surface of said groove being circumferentially radially reduced with respect to said shaft; a retaining wall formed in and substantially around an end periphery of said shaft and located axially outwardly of the bottom of said ring groove, the outer extremity of the retaining wall being circumferentially radially reduced with respect to said driving end of said shaft which is contiguous with the opposite side of said groove to a lesser degree than the bottom of said ring groove, said retaining wall defining an entrance into said ring groove from the end face of said driving end over said retaining wall; a resilient retaining member having a ring-shaped spring shank for axial fixation of said retaining member in said ring groove behind said retaining wall by resilient clamping action against the bottom of said ring groove; a retaining shank means on said retaining member integral with said ring shank and extending from said ring groove and end portion of the driving shaft axially along said driving shaft; and means associated with said retaining shank means for releasable engagement with said socket element.
 2. A retaining means according to claim 1 in which said ring groove is circular and directed radially outwardly with said entrance disposed about said retaining wall.
 3. A retaining means according to claim 2 comprising retaining shank means which forms an extension of at least one of the ends of said spring shank, and an axial groove in said driving end, said extension extending along said axial groove, at least a portion of said extension directly frictionally engaging with said socket element by means of radial spring action, said portion of said extension providing said releasable engaging means.
 4. A retaining means according to claim 3 in which said driving end and said socket element have cooperating splines and spline grooves for providing said rotationally fixed engagement, with an axially shortened spline on said driving end.
 5. A retaining means according to claim 3 in which said driving end is a polygonal end, said ring groove being reduced with respect to the planes of said polygonal end to avoid projection of said spring shank radially outwardly of said planes when said spring shank is clamped in said ring groove.
 6. A retaining means according to claim 1 wherein said retaining wall is formed about substantially the whole periphery of said shaft.
 7. A retaining means for releasable axial fixation of a socket element on the outer driving end of a shaft while rotationally fixing the shaft relative to the socket element, comprising: a ring groove formed in the end portion of said driving shaft, said ring groove being open to the end portion of the driving shaft and having a predetermined wall diameter on one side of said groove which is less than the diameter of the driving shaft which is contiguous with the opposite side of said groove; an end portion of the driving end extending radially inwardly of the wall diameter portion of the ring groove to form an inwardly extending ring-shaped retaining wall and defining an entrance into the ring groove from the end face of the driving end; a resilient retaining member having a ring-shaped spring shank for axial fixation of said retaining member in said ring groove behind said inwardly extending retaining wall by resilient clamping action of the ring-shaped spring shank against the wall diameter portion of the ring groove; a retaining shank means on said retaining member integral with said ring shank and extending from said ring groove and end portion of the driving shaft axially along said driving shaft; and means associated with said retaining shank means for releasable engagement with said socket element.
 8. A retaining means according to claim 7 wherein said ring groove is formed in the end face of said driving shaft.
 9. A retaining means according to claim 7 wherein said inwardly extending end portion of said driving element is substantially co-extensive with said groove.
 10. A retaining means according to claim 7 comprising retaining shank means which forms an extension of at least one of the ends of said spring shank, a transverse hole in said driving end, abutment means on said socket element, a detent slidable in said transverse hole for providing said releasable engaging means, a cross hole in said detent, and an axial bore intersecting said ring groove and said transverse hole in said driving end, said retaining shank means projecting into said axial bore and cross hole for resiliently biasing said detent into releasable engagement with said abutment means of said socket element. 